After fifty years of holding politicians accountable, Cohen says it’s time to replace a “career politician worth over $100 million” with someone who actually fights for San Diego area families

SAN DIEGO, CA — Steve Cohen, one of San Diego’s most recognized and respected broadcast news leaders, today announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in California’s 50th Congressional District. Cohen, a Republican, will challenge longtime incumbent Scott Peters in the November 2026 general election.

“For fifty years, I’ve made my living telling San Diegans the truth,” said Cohen. “I’m running for Congress because the truth is that our families are being crushed — by housing costs, by grocery bills, by healthcare premiums — and the career politician who’s supposed to be fighting for us has been in Washington for over a decade getting rich while the rest of us fall further behind. That ends now.”

A Career Built on Accountability

Steve Cohen spent more than two decades as News Director of KUSI-TV, San Diego’s independent television station, where he led a newsroom dedicated to covering the stories that mattered most to San Diego families. Before his tenure at KUSI, Cohen spent over a decade covering California politics from Los Angeles beginning in 1982, earning a front-row seat to the policy decisions — and political failures — that have shaped our state.

Over five decades in broadcasting, Cohen has been honored with every major award for journalistic excellence in the industry, including recognition from the San Diego Federalist Society – First Amendment Award and the San Diego County Republican Party for Excellence in Journalism. His reputation for fairness, independence, and straight talk is not a campaign strategy — it’s a fifty-year track record.

Why He’s Running

Cohen’s decision to enter the race was driven by what he describes as a growing disconnect between San Diego families and the man who represents them in Washington.

“Our current congressman is worth over $100 million. He lives in a La Jolla mansion. He used over a million gallons of water during a drought while the rest of us were told to cut back. And before he ever went to Congress, he was busy on the San Diego City Council voting to underfund our pension system so badly that it triggered an SEC investigation,” said Cohen. “This is a career politician who has been looking out for himself for decades. San Diego deserves better.”

Cohen drew a sharp contrast between his own working career in San Diego newsrooms and his opponent’s record of personal wealth accumulation during public service.

“Scott Peters has been in elected office for the better part of thirty years. In that time, housing costs in San Diego have become some of the worst in the nation. Families can’t afford groceries. Seniors are choosing between their prescriptions and their rent. And he’s become one of the wealthiest members of Congress,” Cohen said. “I don’t know who he’s been representing, but it’s not the people I’ve spent my career talking to every single day.”

The San Diego Affordability Agenda

Cohen announced that his campaign will be built around a “San Diego Affordability Agenda” focused on the pocketbook issues he says families and seniors care about most:

• Housing: Cutting federal red tape that blocks new home construction, incentivizing accessory dwelling unit development, and removing regulatory barriers that keep housing supply artificially low and prices artificially high.
• Healthcare: Fighting for real drug pricing transparency, protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions, and working across the aisle to lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs for families and small businesses.
• Seniors: Establishing a new federal Department of Senior Affairs to protect Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits — and to give older Americans a dedicated advocate in the federal government instead of a patchwork of underfunded programs.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Demanding a balanced federal budget and opposing reckless spending that saddles our children and grandchildren with debt neither party is willing to address honestly.
• Border Security: Supporting strong, effective border enforcement — because San Diego is a border community and public safety starts with knowing who is entering our country — while treating people with dignity and working toward an immigration system that is orderly and lawful.

An Independent Voice for San Diego

Cohen emphasized that he is running as a San Diego candidate, not a Washington partisan.

“I don’t answer to party bosses. I never have. For fifty years, I’ve asked tough questions of politicians from both parties, and I’m not about to stop now just because I’m the one running,” Cohen said. “The people of this district are tired of being taken for granted by a congressman who puts his party and his portfolio ahead of their paychecks. I’ll be an independent, visible, active representative who shows up in your neighborhood and fights for results — regardless of which party gets the credit.”

About the Race

California’s 50th Congressional District encompasses coastal and central San Diego — including La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Point Loma, Coronado, downtown San Diego, Poway, and portions of San Marcos and Escondido. The top-two primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026.

Cohen is calling on San Diegans across the political spectrum — Republicans, independents, and Democrats frustrated with the status quo — to join his campaign.

“The truth is, San Diego deserves a fighter, not a fortune. That’s why I’m running. The truth — for a change.”

For more information, to volunteer, or to contribute, visit www.CohenForCongressCA50.com.